Drunken Misfortune
by Eureka89
Summary: They just can't hold their liquor.


Cleo awoke with a crushing headache. She tried to sit up, but that just made it worse. She could hear Emma moaning somewhere close by. Cleo rolled over onto her stomach. The floor was hard and cold. Lewis was giggling somewhere above her and Rikki threatened him. Cleo tried to open her eyes. The lights were off in the room but a few stray rays of sunlight stole through the blinds crippled her once again.

"What happened?" Cleo winced at the sound of her own voice, "It wasn't a full moon was it?"

"No Cleo it wasn't."Lewis watched from his perch on Zane's dining room table. Rikki laid on the couch in the next room, Cleo was on the floor by his feet and Emma slept awkwardly near the bathroom.

"Out with it Lewis!" Rikki sat up slowly, "Get me some aspirin while you're at it."

Lewis giggled all the way into the kitchen and back to the table. He had grabbed the whole bottle and tossed it to her. Rikki put her hands out too late and the bottle hit her chin. Emma had woke up at this point feeling queasy she immediately crawled into the bathroom. Emerging minutes later to hear the story. She gathered up Cleo and sat with Rikki on the couch.

"Let's start from the beginning." Lewis cleared his throat, "It was our annual spring formal and everyone had a date. Well everyone but Cleo. I would have asked you but you know how Charlotte gets. Let's see at the party Cleo stayed by the punch bowl near the door. I wasn't aware someone could drink that much. I believe she moved to the punch bowl near the DJ later that night. Rikki danced with Zane and Emma with the naïve Ash.

"He is not naïve." Emma interrupted.

"Let me tell the story." Zane walked in the room and sat down next to Lewis eyeing the girls sympathetically.

"As I was saying," Lewis continued, "everyone was having fun. After a few hours Charlotte and I made our way to the punch table. She took a bathroom break and I danced with Cleo until she returned."

"That's when Nate came up to me and said the punch in the other bowl tasted better. So I followed him to it and after the first cup I don't remember anything." Cleo added.

"Well I do. You kept drinking until Emma and I joined you and that's when we blank." Rikki said looking at Lewis for the rest.

"As we found out later Nate and his mates spiked that bowl," everyone looked at Cleo who had drunk the most, "Rikki and Emma only had one cup. Cleo to tell the truth I lost count how many you drank."

"It feels like I had twenty." Rikki groaned.

"It turns out mermaids can't hold their liquor. You guys went wild. It's a wonder no one got wet." Zane laughed.

"Cleo giggled and danced like a three year old, Emma disappeared so I sent Ash and Zane to find her and Rikki…"Lewis trailed off.

"I what?" Rikki stared him down.

"You set Miriam's dress on fire."

"That's not so bad. I thought you said we went wild."

"And the snacks table, and the dance floor, shall I continue?"

"No." Rikki said defeated.

"They found Emma in a fist fight with a girl I've never seen before. That is when we decided to take you outside to the limo. Of course it wouldn't be that simple as soon as you were out you ran to the closest canal and jumped in."

"Lewis sent Ash inside to find his kindergarten teacher. We had to jump in after you before you drowned and pull you to shore. After you dried off went came here." Zane ended. "I called your parents and told them you were staying at Rikki's house. No one knows where she lives, I figured they would buy it."

"When we got here Rikki passed out on the couch, Cleo was giggling in the floor and knotting my shoe laces together and Emma was stalking Zane." Lewis looked from Emma to Zane, "You followed him down the hall then tackled him. I had to race over and stop you from raping him. I taped it on my phone." Lewis pulled out this phone and showed the girls the clip. Emma clamped her hands to her mouth and stole a glance at Rikki who was a little more than perturbed.

"That better not leave this room. Erase it now." Emma ordered.

Lewis pretended to delete the clip and stuck the phone back in his pocket. Rikki kicked the girls off the couch and went back to sleep. Cleo fought Emma for the other one and won. Embarrassed Emma returned to her place by the bathroom. Zane slowly walked up to her and asked her to come down the hall with him.

"Em what's wrong?" He asked her softly.

"I remembered something when I saw that video." She started to blush and looked at her feet, "You didn't fight back until Lewis rounded the corner and pulled me off. You were going to let me have-"

"Emma listen." Zane cut her off.

"No, you're with Rikki. I think it was obvious last night what my feelings are for you, but that was before I knew you were a cheater." Disgust dripped from her voice she turned to leave but he grabbed her by the arm, turned her around, and kissed her.

He didn't know how he was expecting her to react, but this definitely wasn't it. Emma neither pulled away nor tried to fight him. Instead, she wrapped her free arm around his neck, and followed it with the other arm once he let it go. And she didn't stop there. She began to deepen the kiss, and Zane didn't stop her. Their collision with a door knob had interrupted Zane's train of thought. Reluctantly he pulled away from Emma. Looking in her eyes he saw a reflection of his current feelings, but now was the time to mull over this.

"I can't do this." She said quietly, "Why do you always toy with me?"

He stood there as she ran to the bathroom once more before leaving his house completely. Lewis shook his head at Zane when he returned to dining room. He understood his girl problems but wasn't as stupid as Zane to ever cheat on Rikki.  
"Don't look at me like that." Zane spat.

"You've got to choose one sooner rather than later." Lewis advised.

"You're one to talk."

"I'm not in any danger of being burned to death."

"Where would she go?" Zane asked ignoring Lewis' last comment.

"Try her house, then probably Mako." Lewis said, "I wouldn't push it too much."

"Whatever. Just make sure they get home before my dad gets back." Zane left the house. He called Emma's house number first, "Hi this is Zane is Emma home yet? She's not. Thanks."

He quickly ran to the dock and expertly jumped into the Zodiac. It wasn't long before he spotted Emma floating gorgeously on the surface of the water. He began to slow down as he got closer to her. She heard the boat but didn't make a move. It was only a matter of time before he followed her. When he was close enough to reach down and touch her she dived and swam to Mako. Emma was pulling herself up the white sand when Zane arrived.

"Your boat is fast." Emma said stopping to wash the sand off her hands in the tide. Zane came and sat beside her, not caring that his pants were getting wet. He stared at her tail, it was still new to him. The scales glimmered bright in the sunlight, "You can touch it if you want."

Zane nodded and put a careful finger on her tail then slid it down as far as he could reach. He spread his palm out and brought his hand back up resting it on her hip. He looked up at face taking in the glassy look in her eyes.

"I would do anything to be with you." Zane whispered in her ear.

"Rikki would hate me forever if you dumped her for me." Emma said sadly.

"She wouldn't have to know." Zane began to kiss Emma's neck softly.

"I don't keep secrets from my friends." She hissed enjoying the sparks Zane's mouth was sending with every kiss, "This will be the last time."

"If you ever change your mind…"

"I won't." Emma pulled back and looked him in the eye, "I mean it Zane."

Zane put a hand on the back of her head and brought his lips to hers. He laid her down in the sand. As she opened her mouth and tangled her tongue with his, he felt her approval, her respect, her desire; it was as if he could sense her thoughts and they were sharing a deep unspoken communication.

"Oh." Emma froze at the sound but did not turn, "Isn't this interesting."

Zane still caught up in his final rendezvous with Emma didn't notice anything until Emma pushed him off. He looked at her confusion spread on his face. She looked past him at the figure down the beach. Zane finally turned around and spotted Charlotte standing a few meters behind him arms crossed.

"Go away, perv." Zane shouted then turned back to Emma, "Ignore her."

"I can't…I've I've…" Emma panicked a little, unable easily leave in her current form she felt vulnerable. Seeing this Zane stood up and advanced on Charlotte.

"Where's Lewis?" he asked maliciously, "Did he leave you at the dance to run off with Cleo?"

Angry already Charlotte clenched her fists, unconsciously heating the air around them. Emma could feel it where she sat and reached out to counter it.

"Get a room." She finally said before jogging down the beach.

With a smile Zane returned to where he left off only Emma wasn't in the mood anymore. Zane frowned and helped pull her up the beach so the water could no longer reach her. He waited the few hours for her to dry before trying again.

"Come on Emma she's gone." He pleaded, "You said it was my last chance. I want to change your mind about us."

"I hardly think sex will change my mind Zane." Emma crossed her arms and leaned into his embrace.

"What if she ever dumped me? Would you change your mind then?" he whispered.

"Maybe, it depends on what terms it happened on."

"Fair enough." He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head, "Bye Emma."

"See you later." They reluctantly pulled apart and went their separate ways. Emma dove into the water and swam for the secret beach. Rikki waited for her there to Emma's dismay. Rikki helped her dry off before saying a word.

"I don't care what happened between the both of you as long as it's over as of this second." Rikki said clenching her teeth.

"Don't worry it was over long before."Emma sighed, "How did you find out?"

"Just because my eyes are closed doesn't mean I'm sleeping. I overheard him talking to Lewis and you defend me in the hall. I thought it was noble and couldn't be mad at you for that."

"It wouldn't have worked anyway." She looked into Rikki's eyes, "don't be foolish and lose him."

_A/N: I hope they aren't too OOC. I honestly wasn't going to make this zane/emma it took a life of its own. Hope you enjoyed it._


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